


I do

by Crawlin_out_through_the_fallout



Category: Fallout 4
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Weddings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-04
Updated: 2017-11-04
Packaged: 2019-01-29 12:09:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,863
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12630774
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crawlin_out_through_the_fallout/pseuds/Crawlin_out_through_the_fallout
Summary: Father watches as his mother falls in love and marries Arthur Maxson





	I do

Father had been watching his mother as she searched high and low across the Commonwealth trying to find him- well, he’s 10 year old self anyway.   
He had been the one that had pushed the button to release her from her frozen tomb underground- from the comfort of his own room within the safety of the Institute’s walls.   
He had watched, through the various CCTV footage that the Institute crow’s captured as she met with the Mr. Handy outside her pre-war house, covered in radioactive dust and dirt, memories of a time that once was echoing through the gaps in the walls.   
When she had defeated the Deathclaw with nothing but a pipe pistol, having run out of ammo for the minigun, gaping hole in her power armour’s leg.   
He watched as she marched through Diamond City, seeking the forgotten synth detective. As she fought through Vault 114 to save the detective.   
He watched as she fought Kellogg, through the eyes of his own synths- all the way up until she destroyed the very last one; he knew he should have had some form of surveillance installed.   
He watched from afar as she met the Brotherhood of Steel- he didn’t want to get too close to them just yet, especially with the crows.  
He watched her recovery after she suffered severe radiation poisoning (after she was released from the Steel prison floating above the skies) after she travelled through the glowing sea- he was never able to find the reason she went there.   
He watched her many steps.

However, there were some things that he wasn’t able to watch- there were some places that he couldn’t watch- he couldn’t see when she walked into certain buildings. When she was in the Castle, with her small army of Minutemen.   
When she was in the Prydwen- the floating prison.   
He wasn’t able to watch as the relationship between the Elder of the Brotherhood of Steel and his mother blossomed.   
_Paladin Danse had given Sole a flying recommendation, promoting her into the ranks of the Brotherhood of Steel- Elder Maxson had been very impressed. Sole had come in and watched his speech- she had sat and listened, dirt and dust caked over her clothes and face. She looked ever the part of a warrior- however she didn’t sound like one when she spoke. She was soft spoken, he found that he had to really strain his ears to hear what she was saying. He promoted her to Knight, and she looked very proud of herself. As she was leaving, to go and meet the rest of the crew, he stood, watching her intently._

Father didn’t watch their first meeting; or the time when Maxson had to defend Sole from some of his own soldiers- and the argument that followed, with Sole proclaiming that she didn’t need the help of him to defend herself.   
_There were many times that Sole found herself dealing with Arthur Maxson personally. She would get all her missions directly from him, and that created a rather big problem within the ranks. Only the higher ranks received their orders directly from Maxson- everyone else would receive them from their ‘team leader’. Rumours soon began spreading of a love affair, about how Sole had only been brought in as a whore for Maxson- and somehow they had found out about Sole being ‘pre-war’, and she was soon regarded as a liar.  
One day as Sole was leaving the shower room after freshening herself up, she was cornered by two women and three men. They’d called her names, and she’d ignored them, telling them to ‘go fuck themselves’ as she brushed past them. The next morning, at breakfast in the mess hall, the same people had tripped Sole, and she had turned around taking a swing at them. Elder Maxson had been there and had broken up the fight. They had all been disciplined, however it seemed as if Sole had ‘gotten off lightly’. Sole had argued with Arthur about it- about both how she didn’t need him defending her, and how he needed to treat her as he treated other Knights._

Father didn’t see Sole being flown back to the Prydwen after she’d been too weak to return to the pick up sight and Danse had thrown the vertibird grenade, praying someone was within range to see it.   
_Danse had ensured that Sole had always kept their power armour on. Every time they stopped somewhere with low radiation, he and Sole had each been hooked up to a IV Radaway and Rad-X. He wanted both of them to return safely- Elder Maxson had made sure Danse had known it wasn’t an option to return sick, let alone one of them not to have returned.  
He hadn’t been expecting the supermutant to have been the one to greet them. He had wanted to kill it- but had listened to Sole’s desperate pleas. He hadn’t believed the story the mutant made up. But he had listened to Sole.   
They were both exhausted upon leaving the mutant- and that was dangerous. So dangerous, they hadn’t seen the Alpha deathclaw. They fought, and survived, barely. Danse’s Power armour was damaged, and he was still able to walk and talk- but Sole was a different story. He quickly assessed her, before ripping a vertibird grenade from its home and throwing it, praying someone saw before he tried to help Sole._

Father didn’t see the recovery Sole had to make- much of it being made within the steel walls of the Prydwen.  
 _Upon hearing that a vertibird signal grenade had been seen from within the Glowing Sea, Maxson had tried to get on the ‘bird that was heading to the location- however was forced to stay behind and wait.  
Less than an hour later, the ‘bird returned, Danse stood in his power armour, staring at the body of Sole. Arthur watched with blood running cold as the medics took the weak body of Sole straight to Knight-Captain Cade for recovery. Arthur had wanted to follow- but there were too many curious eyes, so instead he went to his quarters, asking Danse for a debrief when he was medically cleared.   
Danse turned up at Arthur’s door an hour or so later. He told the story, and ended up crying as the stress overcame him- after all, he had failed his mission.  
Sole was unconscious for five days. She had six Radaway IV’s, and ten stimpaks, spread out throughout the days she was unconscious. Upon waking up, she was bed bound for four days, before she was let up to regain and rebuild the muscles in her legs.   
Within three weeks, Sole had been discharged, however there were times that she still felt weak, and had to rely on others for some help, especially when in firefight.  
During her recovery, she spent a lot of time with Maxson. She had yet to be discharged, and was found herself spending time with the Elder. They talked, about their mission within the commonwealth; about their childhood (even if they were years apart); about Sole’s missing son. They grew closer over the weeks, and soon realised they’d felt something more for one another than just friendship. _

Father didn’t see how their relationship blossomed- no-one did, as it happened in Private, very few knew about their relationship, and those who did found out through walking in on them.

Father didn’t know about their proposal.  
 _It was a cold night aboard the Prydwen, however Maxson’s quarters were stuffy and hot, from the activities that had been going on throughout the night. The lovers lay naked in each other’s arms, Sole rubbing small circles into Arthur’s chest hair, Arthur taking slow drags of the cigarette hanging between his lips. The air was thick with tension- Sole could tell that Arthur was nervous about something- she couldn’t think of what though._  
“Marry me”   
Sole sat up, looking at Arthur. She could see he was nervous. Sweat decorated his face- although that could have been from previous activities. She thought back over the last several months. About how he was always there for her- no matter what she was going through. She thought back from before the war- her and Nate had been together for a few years before they got engaged- her and Maxson had been official for only a few months. She thought about the future, then spoke.  
“Ask me again”  
“Will you marry me?” She responded with a nod and a kiss. Which turned into so much more, another evening spent together in one another’s company- clothing not required. ‘I love you’s’ being whispered into each others skin. 

Father found out about the wedding through a Crow.   
They were setting up the airport with seating and what looked like an alter. They cleaned the red airport carpets, and set out the chairs- about fifty or so. Father watched as Sole’s many friends and companions (and the dog) set off across the Commonwealth towards the airport. They searched high and low for a suitable dress and suit for the happy couple. And it didn’t take long before Father realised who the ‘happy’ couple were. He felt betrayed. She was putting getting married before finding her missing son. 

In private Sole cried, and wept- feeling horrible for putting a wedding before finding her child, but knew that she was no closer to finding the Institute, and wanted to marry the man she loved so that when her son was finally with her, he was apart of a family unit.

Father watched as his mother walked down the aisle. Father had to admit she looked beautiful in the white dress he’d left for her in an old clothing store. He watched as she met her lover at the altar, and as they said their vows, and as his mother became the wife of the Elder of the Brotherhood of Steel.   
He watched as his mother and new stepfather (funny, since the guy was younger than he was) spent what they deemed as a honeymoon together. 

And a few months later, Father met his mother face to face. Ring sat unconsciously on her left hand ring finger- Shaun would have believed it was still on her finger from his father Nate, had he not have witnessed his mother marrying his enemy. His mother did not mention her most recent nuptials.   
Father knew that Sole was his enemy- there was no way that she would turn against her husband. But she dragged him along, and months after, the day came that she broke into the Institute, husband and army by her side. And although Father was sad, he wasn’t angry- he was dying anyway.

Sole stood by his bed, and apologised. For letting him go. And not finding him sooner. And for leaving him to die. As he handed over a little envelope containing the ultrasound he’d kept since Sole had a compulsory health check upon her arrival several weeks after wedding- all he said to Sole was  
“Keep this one safe”  
For father was dying, and his mother had another chance at a family, with her new husband and their army.


End file.
